My Dear Hubby has asked me to make Sausage gravy and biscuits. I tried many years ago, but alas, I am not the best cook. I have just made the best biscuits I have ever made, and he mentioned the sausage gravy, and that he'd love to have some. We live in NH and that's not a popular dish here. I tried to make it once, but it was not right. I have never even tasted it myself, so it's hard for me to try to duplicate it by his description. The gravy is white and has pepper in it. Can someone post how they go about making this dish? What type of sausage do you use (that I could find at the grocery store) and how do you make the gravy? is it a white sauce with flour and the grease from the sausage? Isn't it wicked greasy? Please advise this Northern lady, as I have no clue.

-- Bobbi (the_bee_lady@hotmail.com), January 09, 2002

Answers

Make a roux by browning oil and flour; this is the difference between gravy and paste. Add liquid and spices to this.

-- Kevin (kevinmail@earthlink.net), January 09, 2002.

Making my mouth water just thinking about sausage and milk gravy. My wife seldom makes it. Tradesman

-- Tradesman (Tradesman@noaddr.com), January 09, 2002.

Buy the 1# chub of Bob Evans sausage. (white package) Fry or microwave the meat until fully cooked. Drain the fat off, but DO NOT scrape the pan. To the reserved fat, add enough butter/marg. to equal 1/3--1/2 cup. (take my word-real butter to 1/2 cup...) Put the fats back into the fry pan, stir in 1/2 cup flour. Blend this into a paste (roux) Add 4 cups milk and the sausage. Stir constantly until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper

UMMMMMMMMMMM!

-- Jim (jedeweese@earthlink.net), January 09, 2002.

Take some bulk sausage and brown. Remove the meat and use the drippings, or if there isn't enough grease, use canola or vegetable oil. Just a tablespoon or two will do. Add flour and stir to cook. Add enough flour to absorb the oil or grease, it won't take much. Should be the consistency of stew. Cook the flour until it begins to darken a bit. Then begin to add water, and stir. You'll be amazed at how much a little flour and oil will expand. When you've reached the amount of gravy and consistancy you want, add the sausage, and pepper to taste. Pour over the biscuits and enjoy. Good luck.

-- Julie (rjbk@togehter.net), January 09, 2002.

Here is the way I make sausage gravy. This gravy can be made with either sausage or lean hamburger. 1 pound of sausage and brown well in a heavy skillet. Drain and save grease. Add back 1 Tablespoon of grease to browned meat in the heavy skillet. Sprinkle with a scant 1/3 cup of flour (unbleached or white) and sprinkle with salt if you use hamburger. Sausage should be seasoned enough. Brown, stirring and turning constantly (use a pancake turner) until flour is medium brown. Flour will stick to skillet, just scrape it loose and keep browning. Add 2 1/4 cups of milk all at once and stir well. (Be careful of steam) Stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet well until gravy comes to a boil and thickens. Continue stirring and boiling until the consistancy is to your liking. Some like a thin gravy but we prefer a thicker gravy. If gravy is too thick just add a little more milk, if it is too thin just boil it a little longer and it will thicken up. It is ready to serve. However, we like to add about 1/2 cup of sour cream just before serving. Be sure to mix well. Also, if your husband wants, add pepper to taste. Note: Meat may be browned over med-high heat but the flour should be browned over med heat. Don't burn the edges of the skillet. Good brown flour is the secret to good gravy. Let me know if this doesn't work for you.

-- Mary in S.C. MO. (rosewd@fidnet.com), January 09, 2002.

This is one of my favorite treats, and if you are health conscious, 1/4 cup 0f fats will work. Also, cheaper sausage works, but Bob Evans is my favorite.

-- Jim (jedeweese@earthlink.net), January 09, 2002.

MMMMMMMmmmmmmfmfmhmmghh, can't talk with my mouth full. Had to make some for dinner with buttermilk biscuits. Little mess of turnip greens on the side. Heaven on a plate.

-- HarleyinFL (cruisindog@juno.com), January 09, 2002.

ok,, single guy secret,,, .99,, at the back of the grocery store,, a small can of sausage gravy,, tastes pretty good,,for coming out of a can,, and better than I have made

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), January 09, 2002.

1 lb. sausage of choice 3-5 heaping Tb all purpose or whole wheat flour 2-4 c. whole milk

Medium heat-never change-large frying pan

Brown sausage, breaking it up into 1/2 and 1/4 pieces. Leaving sausage and grease in pan, add 3 heaping Tb flour. If more grease is still in pan (not really powdery from the flour) add another Tb or 2 of flour. Stir for 30 seconds. Add 2 to 4 cups of milk (4 c. if you want a lot of gravy-it's what I use). Stir milk into flour and sausage, and continue stirring constantly until milk is bubbling well. Don't let it stick to the bottom of the pan-try scrapping with your fork side. Once the gravy is condensed by about 1/3 (test by using getting a tablespoon full and pouring into pan, pours quickly, not thick enough, pours slowly- perfect, doesn't move? Add a little more milk and remove from heat). It should take about 5 minutes from the first bubbles. REMOVE FROM HEAT. Let cool a minute, taste, and add more pepper and salt if needed.

-- Marty in KS (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), January 09, 2002.

Real deep south sausage gravy; fry a small amount of sausage, throw it into the blender with milk, chop it into fine size pieces, add 1/4 flour to milk, pepper to taste, dump it into skillet with sausage grease, stir until thick, mouth out, calories are our friends.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), January 10, 2002.

Hi Bobbi, I make it like Marty does by leaving the sausage in the pan, saves a step. After I brown the sausage, I tilt the pan slightly and pull all the sausage to the "top" and the grease puddles to the lower part of the skillet. I then use a spatula and press the sausage with it to get any extra grease to drain down to the bottom of the skillet. That way I can tell how much grease I have and if I have to add butter or not. I ususally wind up with a Tbl. or so of grease and then add a couple Tbls. of flour. Mix the flour and grease well with a fork and cook it a minute. Set the skillet back flat on the burner, mix the roux with the sausage, and add milk. (I don't measure the milk, but it's probably a couple cups). Let this cook a minute, it will start to thicken and boil, then I add a little more milk till I get the right consistancy and let this come to a boil. I throw in a couple pats of butter on top for good measure! I was taught to do it this way by some old railroaders who use to make hamburger gravy at the depot every night. Once you do it a couple times, it's real easy.

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), January 10, 2002.

My dad was born and raised in Tx and had breakfast gravy every morning growning up. His mother taught him to make it when he was ready to leave home and he taught me. Anyway you take your sausage or bacon cook and take out of pan. Leave enough greese to cook your flour. It dosnt take that much but I alway drain about half the greese and set aside incase I need to add some back in. Add about 4 T of flour and cook till it looks like peanut butter color.Take off burner and add the liquid stiring, then put it back on burner. This avoids lumps. Add one can condenced milk to one can water and add salt and peper to taste, cook untill thick and creamy. You have to stir it alot so it dose not stick to the bottom of the pan while cooking. This is a rich and creamy gravy. I also use the recipe after frying chicken. My grandmother use to say for every T of flour you get a cup of grave but I don't know how true that is because I don't ever messure anything I just guess. LOL

-- Teresa (c3ranch@socket.net), January 10, 2002.

I make it just like Marty, leave the sausage in the pan, add flour and milk and season to taste. Sure is good over homemade bisquits! Best of luck to you!

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 10, 2002.

Granny always said the problem most northern cooks had with gravy is they don't bring it up to a boil. Be sure to boil it a minute or so to cook the flour good.

-- Rog (rw285@isoc.net), January 10, 2002.

I too am a yankee in southern territory. I make sure I really cook the bits of sausage, very very brown, to get a brown base, then I add the flour to a jar of luke warm water, or milk for a whiter gravy...my west va hubby loves it. Hang in there, it took me 20 years to figure out biscuts, but I could make a Philly cheesesteak at five years old! lol

-- julie britt (jbritt@ceva.net), January 10, 2002.

Thank you everyone. Thank you for sharing the detailed instructions. I'm sure I can do it now. I didn't think of putting milk in the gravy, good thing you all are willing to share information. My Hubby will be a happy man! ;)

-- Bobbi (the_bee_lady@hotmail.com), January 10, 2002.

Good stuff , we also make it from bacon grease and crumble up crisp bacon.

-- Don Amon (peacelane@certainty.net), January 10, 2002.

Bob Evans makes the BEST sausage gravy. THE BEST. So, dont worry about making it :)...Bob Evans sells it pre-packaged in the grocery store

-- (rainstorm92@hotmail.com), February 21, 2002.